Labeling-machine.



F. COATES.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 4, 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, l9l5.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

. gmwmtoz Frederick oalies,

F. COATES.

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.-

wuwwmeo Gama,

ion.

FREDERICK COATES, OF ROCHESTER; NEW YORK. I

LABELING-MACHINE,

To all whom it, may concern:

certain new and useful Improvements in La beling-Machines, of which the following is a -full, clear, and exact description;

This invention has reference to label applying machines, and it proposes various mprovements in the. generaltype of machine disclosed'in my companion. application, Sc

' rial No. 836,104 filed of even date herewith,

such. machine embodying a two-armed, r0.- tary carrier which is so constructed and arranged that while one of the'two arms thereof is engaged in extracting a' label from the pile contained in a label-holder, the

other arm is be-' 7 carried bythe drive shaft 3.

coated label carried by the ing applied to a package.

The improvement of the present construction relates primarily to the means or mechanism-f or drlvingthe carrier, and,"also, to thedevice by which the strippin of the labels from the carrier and then xation to the packages are effected.

The invention further resides'in theparticular construction and' arrangement of the,

above-mentioned instrumentalities and their component parts, as hereinafter described and claimed. 3

The accompanyingdrawings show a construction which for present purposes may be deemed the preferred embodiment of the improved machine, and in said 'drawings:'- J Figure 1 is a slde'elevatlon; Flg'. 2 1s a plan view; Fig. 3 is'anenla'rged detail view, partly in section, of the coupling device associated with the label-holder; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 1-4 of Fig.3.

' Referring more particularly to said drawing, 1 indicates, generally, the bed ofthe machine, which is supported upon a pedestal 2 and 3 the horizontallymou'nted main or driving shaft, the latter being journaledin a pair of bearing brackets 4 fixed to the bed,

and being provided with "a pulley 5 which is driven by belting, (notvshown), from' a.

suitable source of ower.

The various wor "ng parts of the/machine are mountedupon'b'ed 1, and in'clude'the carrier A and the label-holding and pasteapplying devices B and C. The carrier A is designed for rotation, in the manner about to be described, and,in the construction illustrated, is fixed to the upper end 'ofa shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

6, which latter is set an angle of about 45 and is journaled in bearings 7 provided on a standard8 attached to the bed, the said carrier being here shown as comprising a ranged at one side of and parallel with shaft 6, and journaled in bearings 12 and 12', the latter being mounted ,upon bed 1, and the former being constructed integral with standard 8. At its lower end, this drum is provided with a friction gear '13 which engages a-largerfriction gear 14 fastened'to 1 shaft 6, while below said drum there is secured toshaft 11v a worm wheel ,15 that meshes with and. is driven by a worm 16 The outer ends of thetwo' carrier arms 9 and 9' are provided'with suitable platens 17 and 17 which are designed to pickup the labels 18 from the holder B, as subsequently explained,- and accordingly the said holder is disposed in the path of these platens, or

- pickers as-they-may be broadly termed, the arrangement and. timing of parts being such that at regular intervals durin the movement of the-carrier, first one pic er' and then the other will lie'exactly above the holder.

The pickers may be of any desired construction, and they arehereshown as of skeleton will lie-taken up aheadof that of the label- 'holder,

r In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pasting-device comprises a tank 20 of suitable size and she e, which contains the paste, or other adhesive, and, also, the paste= applying roll' 21, the. latter being mounted upona horizontal shaft 22 that is 3onrnaled in bearings provided in the end walls of the tank. Shaft 22' carries upon its outerend a pulley 23, adapted to be driven in some suitable manner, and the roll Patented Nov. 2, 1915. Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 836,103..

21 on this shaft is normally disposed in the path of the pickers, so that during the rotation of the carrier the pickers will alternately cross the said roll at predetermined intervals and will be coated by the same as it rubs against their under faces. The tank itself'is supported upon feet or brackets 24 aflixed to the bed of the machine.

The label-holder B, according to this in vention is so constructed and arranged that the pile of labels therein is automatically raised toward each picker, as the same reaches a position over said holder,rso as to bring the uppermost label against its coated face, and is afterward lowered, thus extracting the label from the pile. In its preferred form, the label-holder consists, as shown, of a platform 25 adapted to support the pile of labels and constituting the head of a plunger, the stem 26 of which fits slidably in the bore of the tubular stem 27 of an element whose head 28 is disposed beneath the said plunger head or platform 25 and is provided along its margin with upstanding spring arms 29. These arms are designed for engagement with the sides of the pile and their terminals 30 are slightly inturned, so that not only. are the labels retained in place in the pile, but during the downward movement of the holder the pile is withdrawn from the label attached to the picker. The plunger stem 26 extends in opposite directions beyond the outer stem 27, and its lower portion also projects through and below a vertical sleeve-31 connected to the bed, the upper end of this sleeve and the lower end of stem 26 having fastened thereto the terminals of a retractile coil spring 32, which thus tends to hold the plunger normally elevated. In like manner the head 28 of the outer member of the holder is normally forced upward by means of expansible springs 33, which encircle at their opposite ends pairs of depending and upstanding pins 34 and 35, secured, respectively, to said head 28 and to a flange 36 provided upon the upper end of sleeve 31, the springs 33 also serving as a cushion for said holder member.

In connection with the above-mentioned movement of the holder, means is provided for periodically locking together the .two members thereof, and additional means or mechanism for operating the locking means and for depressing the holder members when so locked. The first-named means preferably consists of a wedge-shaped latch 37 which is disposed between spaced vertical flanges 38 provided upon stem 27 and is'movable through a vertical slot 39 formed in the latter at such point into and out of frictional engagement with the plunger stem, displacement of the latch being prevented by a pair of cross-pins 40, that connect said flanges, and by the engagement of the lower of such pins with a shoulder 37 formed on the lower end of said-latch. When the two stems are locked together in this way, downward pressure exerted upon the latch will result in the depressionof the holder bodily, but when such pressure is removed, the binding action of the latch upon the plunger stem will at once cease, whereupon the latter will be automatically raised by the action of the spring 32.

To effect the inward movement of the latch, and, consequently, the downward movement of the holder, a rocking lever 41 may advantageously be utilized, this lever being provided-with a lateral pin 42 that projects through the recessed central portions 38 of the flanges 38 and through the similarly-recessed portion 37 2 of the latch, into position to frictionally engage the edge of the latter. Lever 41. is secured at its lower end to a horizontal rock-shaft 43 which is journaled in bearings in standard 8 and to this shaft there is secured, in turn, an operating lever 44, actuated from a closed cam groove 45 cut in the peripheral wall of drum 10, said groove receiving therein a roller 46 arranged on the free end of lever 44. The levers 41 a d 44 thus combine to form a bell-crank,

the arm thereof which is constituted by lever 44 moving toward and from the friction gear 14,0n the carrier shaft 6. The other arm or lever 41 has an approximately arcuate shape, in side elevation, as shown, and is, moreover, offset laterally intermediate its ends, the lower portion 41 thereof (which carries the pin 42), being arranged at one side of the label-holder B, while the upper portion 41 in the plane of said carrier shaft, these two portions being connected by the short lateral portion 41 The upper portion 41- further. embodies, by preference, a pivotal terminal ortion 41 which is provided with the hereinafter-described plunger head 47, and, also, with a depending projection or lug 48, and is joined to the said portion 41 by a bolt or pin 49.

L The timing of the various parts issuch that the bell-crank-arm or lever 44 commences its downward movement toward gear 14 simultaneously withthe arrival of the picker on a carrier arm over "the label holder. Thelatter is disposed some distance below the pickers, and must, therefore, be raised in order to bring the top label against the coatedface of the picker, this being effected by the action of the spring 32. When extends oversaid holder and lies lever 44 moves downward toward gear 14, as above stated, the other lever or arm 41 Wlll rise during which time its pin 42 which has previously been caused to bind against the'recessed edge 37 of latch 37 and to force said latch intobinding engagement with the plunger stem 26, will release its pressure upon the latch. The latter will then release the inwardly through slot 39 ger stem, which will immediately be drawn upward by spring 32, thereby causing the top label to impact against the picker. When the reverse movement of the levers 44 and 41 takes place, pin 42 will again be moved into binding engagement with said latch and in so doing will cause the latch to efi'ect the coupling of the holder members. Thereafter, the depression of the holder, bodily, will be accomplished, the pile of labels being carried downward with said holder and leaving the previously-top label adhering to the picker.

As the carrier must necessarily remain stationary during the application of a label to one of its pickers and the strippingof a label from its other picker, means are provided for periodically interrupting the rotation of the shaft wherein the carrier is mounted, such interruption taking place each time that its pickers'are brought into receiving and stripping position. In the present construction, the means in question embody, primarily, an annular flange 50 formed upon the upper face of gear 14 adjacent the peripheral edge thereof and formed with a pair of abrupt projections or shoulders 51 and 51 located at diametrically-opposite points. These shoulders are designed for alternate engagement with a depending projection or shoulder 52 formed upon the lower edge of lever 44, intermediately'its ends, and whenever such engagement occurs, the rotation of shaft 6 will be terminated, .as will be understood, "although the rotation of shaft 11 is allowed to continue, due to the fact that the periphery of gear 13 iscut-away, as at 53, to. reduce the area of surface engagement between that gear and the gear 14. The cam groove in drum 10 is so constructed and timed, and the gears 13 and 14 soproportioned that each time lever 44 starts to descend a shoulder 51 or 51 will be disposed in position to engage the shoulder 52 during the further downward movement of the lever, the height of the shoulders being such as topermit said lever to make its full down stroke as provided for by said cam groove. At the completion of this stroke, lever 44 starts its up ward movement during which time the shoulder 52 is gradually disengaged from the gear shoulder 51 or 51, the disengagement terminating shortly before the completion of the up-stroke of the lever.

During the initial part of the descent of lever 44, or, in other words, until the engagement of the co-acting shoulders is effected, the rotation of the carrier continues, such engagement taking place, as previously stated, at the time when either picker reaches a position directly above the label-holder. Immediately thereafter, thelocking action of the latch upon the holder members ceases, and the plunger rises. As lever 41 continues its upward and inward movement, due to the further descent of lever 44, the swinging plunger section 41 of the latter will be caused to approach the adjacent end of the feed chute 54 whereon the packages to be labeled are supported, and will, at length move over said chute, its lug 48 serving to raise the plunger head 47 slightly above the floor of the chute. The packages are fed, one at a time, along this chute in any desired manner, and on reaching the discharge end thereof, are disposed between the plunger head 47 and the picker on the then vertical arm, the said picker being positioned, at that time, in the space or gap between. the

- discharge end of the feed chute, and the receiving end of the delivery chute 55. As the movement of lever 41 continues, its head will force the package at the end of the feed chute between the arms of the picker and onto the-end of the delivery chute, thereby stripping the label from the picker and clamping its central portion between that package and the one previously labeled. During the final movement of the lever, the row of packages is advanced one step through the delivery chute, and the project'- ing ends of the label are wiped against the sides of the packages by means of suitable wipers, thus completing the fixation of the label. The two chutes 54 and 55 are arranged horizontally, and their floors are flush with each other, so as to facilitate the transfer of the package from one to the other, the space or gap between their adjacent ends being sufficiently wide to permit free movement of the carrier arms therethrough.

The operation of the entire machine is as follows :'assuming that the various parts are in the positions depicted in Fig. 1, and that the carrier arms '9 and 9 have just reached the position which they occupy At this moment, lever 44 has completed the initial part of its downward movement, the engagement of shoulders 52 and 51 has just commenced, the rotation of the gear 14, and, consequently, of the carrier A has been interrupted and the pin 42 on lever 41 has just released its pressure upon latch 37, so that spring 32 is about to pull the labelholder B bodily upward. Previous, however, to the movement of picker 9 into position above said label holder, that picker has wiped across the paste-roll 21 of the pasting device C, so that its under face has been coated with the adhesive. As the labelholder ascends under the influence of spring 32, the top label on the pile is brought into contact with the coated face of the picker and is pressed thereagainst, the carrier remaining stationary at that time and thereafter until the shoulders 52 and 51 are discoupling I completion of the descent of the holder,

resultant upward movement of lever 41,

which may be considered as the secondary movement of said levers, the label carried by the picker'17 on the arm 9 is stripped therefrom in the manner described, and applied to a package, the movement of the levers terminating at the end of the travel of the labeled package into the delivery chute.

The upward movement of the lever 44, andthe downward movementof. lever 41 then ensue, and at the'begi'nning of such movement, pin 42 forces latch 37 into binding engagement with the plunger stem 26, thus together the two members of the holder, he latter being forced downward as the descent of lever 41 continues, and ex tracting the top label from the pile. At the shoulder 52 releases shoulder 51 on gear 14, whereupon the rotation of said gear, the carrier shaft and the carrier again commences. Thecarrier moves through half of a revolution and is again stopped upon the follow ing'down-stroke of lever 44, this time by the engagement of shoulder 52 with, shoulder 51, the picker 17 on arm '9' being then in position over the label-holder while picker 17 with the label attached to it, isdisposed between the ends'of the feed and delivery chutes. The cycle of operation above described is then repeated.

What I claim is 1. Ina label-applying machine,the combination, with a rotary label-carrier, and a driving shaft arranged shaft whereo'n the same is mounted; of mechanism for rotating said shaft embodying a parallel therewith, andcooperating friction gears mounted on said shafts; means for supplying labels to said carrier; a label-affixing lever; a rocking lever to which the first named lever is connected for' actuation thereby; means on the second-named shaft for operating said rock-- in lever; and means na. ing the rotation of the carrier shaft during a portion of the for periodically termimovement'ofthe second-named lever in one direction.

' 2-. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier and operating means ther'efor; of means for supplying labels to said carrier, a .label aflixing lever; and a lever connected to the first-named lever for continuously operating the same and provided with means for periodically interlever having one 'arm' bination, with a label-carrier and operating means therefor; of means v for supplying labels to said carrier; and a continuously operating bell-crank lever having one arm provided with means for periodically interrupting the operation of said carrier and the other arm with means for affixing the labels to the articles to be labeled during such periods of interruption.

5. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier; and a shaft whereon the same is. mounted; of mechanism for rotating the carrier shaftincluding a shaft parallel therewith, and cooperating gears'mounted on saidshafts, the gear on said carrier shaft being provided with a pair of shoulders; and a rocking label-affixing element having a shoulder adapted to alter-. nately engage the first-named shoulders during the movements of said element in one direction, to periodically interrupt .the rotation of the carrier- 6. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and a shaft Where'on the same is mounted; of mechanism for rotating the carrier shaft including a shaft parallel therewith, and coeperating Igears mounted on said shafts, the gear on said carrier shaft'being provided with a pair of'shoulders; and a rocking bell-crank lever having one arm provided with label-aflixing means, and the other arm provided with a shoulder adapted to alternately engage the first-named shoulders during the movements of said lever in one direction, to periodically interrupt the rotation of-the carrier.

7. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and a shaft whereon the same is mounted; of mechanism for rotating the carrier shaft including a drive shaft parallel therewith, and coeperating friction gears mounted on said shafts, the gear onsaidca-rrier shaft having a pair of projections; and a rocking label-affixing element provided with a shoulder adapted to alternately engage the first-named shoulders during the movements of said element in one direction, to periodically interrupt the rotation of said'carrier,the friction gear on the drive shaft having its friction surface reduced, to lessen its surface-engagement with the friction surface of the gear on the carrier shaft when the rotation of the latter is terminated.

8. In "alabel-applying machine, thecombination, with connected driving and driven shafts; of a label-carrier mounted upon the driven shaft; means for supplying labels to the carrier; a rocking label-affixing element; and a grooved cam mounted upon the driving shaft and engaged with'said element for continuously operating the same.

9. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with connected driving and driven shafts; of a label-carrier mounted upon the driven shaft; means for supplying labels to the carrier; a rocking element provided with means for interrupting the rotation ofthe driven shaft and with label-affixing means and a grooved cam mounted upon the driving shaft and engaged with said element for continuously operating the same.

10. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with connected driving and driven shafts; of a label-carrier-mounted upon the driven shaft; a label-holder and means for normally holding same in operative position; a rocking label-aflixing element having means arranged to engage and move said holder into inoperative position; and a grooved cam mounted upon the driving shaft and engaged with said element for continuously operating the same.

11. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and operating means therefor; of a movable device for supplying labels to 'the carrier; label-aflixing means having'means for controlling the operation of said device; and means for operating said label-aflixing means.

12. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier and operating means therefor; of a movable device for supplying labels to the carrier;..means for normally holding said device in raised position; and label-aflixing means movable toe ward and from the article to be labeled and adapted todepress said device during the latter movement.

13. In a label-applying machine, the com bination, with a label-carrier and operating means therefor; of a movable device for supplying labels to the carrier; means for normally holding said device in ralsed posltion; and arocking label-aflixing lever movable toward and from the article to be labeled and having means adapted to engage and depress said device during the latter movement.

14. In a label-applying machine, the combination, witha label-carrier and operating means therefor; of a label-holder embodying a label-supporting plunger; means for normally holding same in raised position, and a geared element having a tubular stem wherein the stem of said plunger slidably fits; a latch carried by said element for engagement with the p1unger"'stem,'t0 couplethe former and said plunger together; and a rocking label-aflixing element movable toward and from the article to be labeled and having a member arranged to engage and operate said latch during the latter movement, to depress said holder bodlly, and to release said latch during its first-named movement. a 15. In a label-applying machine, the combination with-a label-carrier, and operating means therefor; of a label-holder comprising a plunger having a label-supporting hea and a depending stem; means for normally holding said plunger in raised position and a guard element having a stem wherein the plunger stem. slidably fits and a pair of spaced wings with a slot between the same; a latch mounted in the space between said Wings for movement through said slot into and out of engagement with the plunger stem, to couple said plunger to and release it from said element, and a label-aflixing element movable toward and from the article to be labeled and having a member arranged to engage and operate said latch durmg the latter movement to depress said holder bodily, and to release said latch during its first-named movement.

16.] In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and operating means therefor; of a label-holder comprising a plunger having a label-supporting head and adepending stem; means for normally holding said plunger in raised positlon and a guard element having a stem wherein the plunger stem slidably fits and a pair of spaced wings with a slot between the same; a latch mounted in the space between said wings for movement through said slot into and out of engagement with the plunger stem, to couple said plunger to and release it from said element; and movable label-affixing means having a member. connected thereto for periodically engaging and operating said latch and depressing said holder bodily.

' 17 In a label-applyinglmachine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and operating means therefor; of means for supplying labels to the carrier; and a rocking lever having means operable during the initial part of its movement in one direction to terminate the operation of the carrier, and

means operable during the remainder of such-movement to aflix a label to an article to be labeled.

18. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with a label-carrier, and operating means therefor; of means for supplying labels to the carrier; and a rocking bell- :rank lever having one arm provided with means operable during the initial movement of said lever in one direction to terminate the operation of said carrier, and its other arm provided with means operable during theremainder of such movement to affix a label to an article to be labeled.

19. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with connected driving and driven shafts; of a label-carrier mounted upon the driven shaft, a movable label-holder; and a label-affixing element having means for periodically interrupting the operation of said carrier and additional means for controlling shafts; of a label-carrier mounted upon thedriven shaft, amovable label-holder; means for normally elevating said holder; and a rocking label-afiixing element'having means for interrupting the operation of the carrier during its movement in one direction and additional means for depressing said holder during its movement in the'opposite direcbodying a pair of relatively movable members, and coupling means carried by one member for engagement with the other; and a label-affixing element having means for periodically terminating the operation ofv said carrier and additional means for periodically operating said couplingcmeans and movingsaid holder bodily in one direction.

22. In a label-applying machine, the combination, with connected drivingand driven shafts of a label-carrier mounted upon the driven shaft, a movable label-holder embodying a pair of relatively movable members, and coupling means carried by one member for engagement with the other; and a rocking label-affixing element having means for interrupting the operation of said carrier during its movement in one direction, and additional means for operating said coupling means and depressing said holder bodily during its movement in the opposite direction.

Signed by-me at Rochester, N. Y., in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

FREDERICK OOATES.

Witnesses:

R. TINBLEY SHAFEB, JAMES H. SNYDER; 

